Earwa > The Judging Eye
A Moment of Levity
What Came Before:
--- Quote from: Truth Shines ---I think we can all agree that these books, generally speaking, are not big on comedy. The only exceptions are probably some of those occasionally funny "fireside chats" by Kellhus early on during TWP -- and even those are tinged by forboding because our knowledge of his true nature.
But here's a meta-moment that made me smile and chuckle. RSB, in a classic Ubermensch-esque gesture, poking a little fun at himself. This is a scene where Esmenet, Maithanet, Imhailas (captain of the Eothic Guard), and Phinersa (master of spies) gather in front of the corpse of Sharacinth and plan on how to react (USA 1st Edition, hardcover p278):
[Esmenet]: "... In the meantime, it is absolutely crucial we find this Psatma Nannaferi..."
"Indeed, you Glory," Imhailas said, nodding with almost comic grandiloquence. "As the Khirgwe say, the headless snake has no fangs."
Esmenet scowled. The Captain had a habit of spouting inane adages -- from some popular scroll of aphorisms, no doubt.
:lol:
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What Came Before:
--- Quote from: Madness ---To be honest, Cnaiur made me laugh all the time. An intelligent barbarian :shock: ... he bested those Inrithi sheeple in wit all over PON.
Though, I appreciated Xinemus and company. Xerius and Conphas were funny, in that I thought they were often ridiculous.
Disciple's where Bakker really gets to stretch his comedy leggings... but it's pretty twisted too ;).
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What Came Before:
--- Quote from: Triskele ---That popular scroll of aphorisms is pretty awesome. Nice find.
As much as I like RSB's writing overall, I don't usually like the humor. The jokes made in the book by the characters that generate laughter from the others aren't usually funny to me.
But yeah, Cnaiur urs Sciotha, the most violent of all men (who will murder me!?) can be fucking hilarious.
Kellhus makes a joke to Proyas at the counsel of Great Names. It's just a manipulation on the part of Kellhus to get more accepted, but Cnaiur shoots him a look and thinks "Play these fools if you must, Dunyain, but do not play me!"
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What Came Before:
--- Quote from: Curethan ---That bit where Kellhus takes his shoe's off on the march and some religious takes on the event spring up = the shoe scene in Life of Brian.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka9mfZbTFbk
--- End quote ---
What Came Before:
--- Quote from: Truth Shines ---
--- Quote from: Triskele ---That popular scroll of aphorisms is pretty awesome. Nice find.
As much as I like RSB's writing overall, I don't usually like the humor. The jokes made in the book by the characters that generate laughter from the others aren't usually funny to me.
--- End quote ---
I'm not sure he's writing for the next Seinfeld either, but some of them are pretty good though. Here's one:
Then they [the Skin Eaters, marching in the halls of Cil-Aujas] started on beggars, trading tales of this or that wrtech. Soma's claim to have seen a beggar without arms or legs was met with general derision... In the spirit of mockery, Galian went one better, saying he saw a headless beggar when he was in the Imperial Army. "For the longest time we thought he was a sack of ripe turnips, until he started begging, that is..."
"And what did he beg for?" Oxwora asked...
"To be turned right side up, what else?"
:lol:
Kinda low brow, of course. But again, these are the Skin Eaters. You probably won't find too many fans of The New Yorker cartoons there.
Interestingly, this whole section serves no narrative purpose in terms of advancing the plot, except building up the atmosphere of camaraderie, humanizing a group of hardened killers who hunt inhuman monsters for a living. Perhaps I'm reading into this a little too much, but can this not be seen as a replay, "through the glass darkly," of the Holy War? Achamian, once again, marching in the company of men whose habits and temperament are completely different from his own yet still finding a measure of friendship, but ultimately leading to horror and destruction. The teacher, yet again, losing the student.
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